Her Rage from Within
by anonymousfuturewritter
Summary: Years later Sakura is forced back to the village that took everything away from her. She is not the same girl she was when she left and this time she will not be bent or broken.
1. Chapter 1

Rage.

It was all Sakura felt as it bubbled inside of her causing her to feel like her lungs were on fire. All consuming, all encompassing, her rage wrapped around like a blanket made from lava.

She had never run this fast, never with such despiration, such conviction. If she ran fast enough she hoped she could make it in time. That maybe her rage was enough to push her forward, to propel her further and faster than she had ever gone.

Sakura's chakra hummed around her, slicing the wind as she ran past the blurred forest. She could see it, the village gates just beyond the forest clearing. It almost made her smiled, she almost felt the rush of nostalgia hit her as she saw her village appear between the foliage before her eyes.

Sakura had almost let herself pretend that she was on her way home, but the ANBU guards were waiting for her at the gates and her joy vanished as quickly as it had formed. Whatever she once felt for the village disappeared as her rage reemerged.

Years she had been gone from her village, and years she had trained so that they couldn't take away what was hers again. But she could see it in the way the guards stood before her, like she was the same young girl that had snuck out in the middle of the night all those years back. The same little girl they could restrain with little effort. The same little girl they robbed of a future. But Sakura wasn't that same little girl anymore.

Sakura skidded to a halt in front of the guards as the shinobi before her all fell into a defensive position.

Konoha would one day learn of the woman she had become in spite of them, the woman she trained herself to become but today time was not on her side. Time did not permit her to show them who she now was.

Sakura moved, making plans as she went. She knew ANBU shinobi where fast.

But she was faster.

Sakura pushed her chakra to her feet propelling her forward past the guards and over the gates. If they thought that they could force her into a long drawn out battle they were wrong.

Her plan was simple.

Get in and out.

Get Tsunade and leave the village for good.

There would be no turning back this time. No sleepless nights wondering if she made the right decision in leaving. If she had given Konoha a chance to change.

But going after Tsunade was an obvious declaration of war between herself and her former village.

Sakura moved as fast her she could, her chakra aiding her speed to create distance between her and her pursuers.

 _Move Sakura_ she screamed at herself, _move or you will lose her too._

Just the thought of losing Tsunade was enough to push her past every limit she had ever set for herself. She would leave this village with Tsunade, but if she didn't make it in time she had no plans on leaving Konoha alive. Her power would make them feel her pain. She would destroy them as they had destroyed her.

As the Hokage's tower came into view Sakura was filled with a new resolve. She didn't think she would make it this far with speed alone. She thought she would have been captured, gagged, and on her way to a torture cell. Either Konoha's strength had fallen, or her's had grown. She chose to believe it was the latter.

Sakura was so close she would be within the Hokages tower in seconds. She just need to push a little bit -

"SAKURA" Naruto yelled landing in front of her. "Sakura stopped, you don't have to do this" he said panting between breaths, "we can figure something else out".

 _Naruto._ Her thoughts rang out. Her Naruto was standing in front of her yelling at her to stop. She could see that he was pleading with her but she couldn't hear him, her heart and mind were racing a mile a minute. Like a ghost she never thought she would see again her knees almost buckled from the weight of looking at him and having him within arms reach.

"Sakura" he took a tentative step forward when he saw that she had stopped. The years had changed the girl he once knew into the women that stood before him. She looked so similar to his Sakura-chan but her eyes told the story of all that she had been forced to endure.

This wasn't his Sakura. And by the way she was looking at him.

He was no longer her Naruto.

"Naruto move" she said between clenched teeth. "I don't want to hurt you".

"You could never hurt me Sakura-chan", he said looking at her with a sad smile, "even if you wanted to".

Naruto looked at her, his eyes sad when he saw all that she had become. She would always be his childhood Sakura-chan, even if she didn't see herself as that person anymore.

 _You don't have time for this_ , her thoughts scream. _Naruto is in front of you, alive. But he is not on your side. He will never be on your side._

The site of Nartuo had made her determination slip, but she was right. Neither time nor Naruto were on her side. Her mission would remain the same.

Get in.

Get out.

And never look back.

But she knew Naruto like she knew herself and he would not let her get by without a fight and she had already wasted precious seconds standing there with him. She needed to move. She needed a way out. Just behind him stood the Hokage's tower and where she would find Tsunade. She just had to move.

All of a sudden a body flew from the air and skidded to a stop at her feet before her mind had a chance to process what had happened.

"There is the bitch you were looking for" Saskue said jumping out from the window of the Hokage's tower. The window he had just thrown Tsunade's body from.

He landed a few feet from Sakura looking at her with the same blank stare he had always had.

"The village will be a safer place without that -", Sakura moved before he had a chance to finish his sentence. Even with his Sharingan a he didn't see her move.

Her hand wrapped around his face smashing him into the ground with as much force as she could muster. She felt it in her hands, the way his skull crushed against her chakra.

Dead or not. Saskue would not cause her trouble today.

Sakura didn't have to look back at Tsunade's body to know that she was dead. If whatever torture that had happened to her in the tower had not killed her, then Saskue throwing her out of the window surely would have.

Sakura tried to breath, tried to stay calm as her mind ran through all the possible scenarios but her grief wouldn't let her mind focus. Her grief cut deeper then her rage ever could. She was late. She gave Naruto her last few seconds to save Tsunade. She let Sasuke kill the last thing that ever meant anything to her.

 _That's it_ , she thought. Her resolve hardening. _Today Konoha burns._

Her chakra exploded around her encasing her like a protective layer as kunais ricocheted off her body. ANBU was in behind her poised to bring her down and Naruto stood in front of her shaking from the shock of Saskue's broken body on the ground.

With one deep breath she pushed the swirling chakra around her to the soles of her feet making her movements fast as she flew fist forward towards the tower.

"SAKURA" her could her Naruto voice boom as she flew past him, his Kyuubi chakra leaking into the air fueled by his wrath. But the Kyuubi was of little concerned to her as she unleashed the chakra she had gathered in her fist against the tower. With one hit the tower didn't even crumble beneath her power.

It evaporated.

Tiny pieces of the tower soured through the air showering the shinobi in deberi. Sakura had leveled the largest building in the village with one blow and she turned her eyes to the few members of the council that had escaped the blast.

Three.

Only three council members stood near the rubble, their eyes terrified at the site of what they had just witnessed.

In seconds, two of them were dead by her chakra scalpels and the only one that remained was Danzo looking at her like he had seen death for the first time in his life. He was right.

Today Sakura Haruno was the embodiment of death for him and Konoha.

Danzo was surrounded by his Roots agents in seconds as Sakura crouched down to ready her attack.

Sakura knew she would not make it out of this alive, it was her against an entire shinobi village. But no matter the odds Sakura was going to make sure that Danzo died with her.

Tsunade's blood was on many hands but none more so then Danzo, and for that his death would be excruciating.

Her chakra flared around her causing the debris to lift by the sheer force she expelled. Behind her she could feel the the heat of Naruto chakra as he readied to take her head for the death of his friend, but she knew Danzo would be dead before Naruto could ever get to her.

A calmed settled over her as she prepared for her final battle, she would both win and lose but soon she would be with Tsunade.

Sakura stood up straight as her hand began to fly through an intricate jutsu before she heard it.

A shallow intake of breath.

Tsunade was breathing.


	2. Chapter 2

Uchiha Itachi watched from a far as the situation escalated. He was not one for senseless violence, but the way Haruno Sakura had ripped through their guards made him hesitate in intervening. He was not overly familiar with her, he just knew what he had been told, what everyone was told. Haruno Sakura left the village with sensitive information and was declared a missing nin because of it. Itachi knew there was more to the story, there was always more to the story and he knew that first hand. Most of the higher ranking shinobis didn't even take the command too seriously. Outside of Fire Country a young girl her age would not survive and her body would turn up soon enough. But when Sakura disappeared from their trackers everyone collectively thought she had met an early demise and the information was gone with her.

But they were wrong, he was wrong.

Sakura was alive and by the looks of it stronger then they had ever anticipated.

Itachi could see Sasuke's body near the rubble, his Sharingan indicating that he was still alive, but just barely. He had seen Sasuke throw Tsunade's body and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't believe that Sakura's actions were unjust.

Itachi took a deep calming breath and sighed looking down at his brother. He had long given up trying to change Sasuke, given up in hoping that his brother would see that the ends didn't always justify the means. But years of sacrifice and disappointment finally caused Itachi to see there was no saving him.

Sasuke was the perfect Uchiha shinobi; talented, driven, and most importantly loyal. He would do anything that the clan told him to do without a second thought and over time it caused a insurmountable rift between them. Itachi had scarified too much for his brother to become a mindless soldier but in the end that was what he was destined for.

Sakura's blow would have been fatal if she really wanted to kill him but the damage was too much. Sasuke was dying and Itachi couldn't find it in his heart to move a muscle. If he was going to die then so be it.

But alas, Itachi knew he had to intervene, even when he didn't want to. He had given to much to let Sasuke die like this. His sacrifices would not have been worth it if this was to be his end.

Moving slower than he knew he probably should Itachi dropped down into the clearing unsure on how to proceed. Stopping Sakura was a priority, but leaving the Kyuubi unchecked was quickly turning into a bigger problem. Itachi realized however that Sakura was the source of Naruto's inability to control himself and Itachi knew that he could not stop Naruto as long as Sakura was in his view.

xxxx xxxx.

In the moments that felt like minutes from when she first heard Tsunade take a breath Sakura's entire game plan changed. The goal would remain the same, she needed to get Tsunade and leave immediately. Sakura could almost laugh at how angry she was with herself. No matter what it looked like she should have checked to see if Tsunade was alive, it would have taken less than a second and by now she could have been miles away from the village. But instead here she was surrounded with ANBU and Naruto behind her and Root agents in front.

She didn't want to waste any more time, she already made that mistake. So Sakura quickly came up with a plan. It would be dangerous, and there was no guarantee of success but it was the only way she could think of getting out of the village alive.

Sakura took a deep breath channelling her chakra as she readied herself. She would need to focus if she wanted to do this correctly but she also noticed Uchiha Itachi landing in the clearing near Sasuke's body.

Sakura needed to be fast. She could feel more chakra signature headed to where she was. It was probably more shinobi and that would cause more of a problem for her.

Her hand shifted from the previous justus that she was about to complete to take down Danzo as she rapidly transferred her charka to a new jutsu.

Biting back a scream from the sering pain that enveloped her she felt the jutsu complete. The pain was almost enough to make her black out and it was the main reason she didn't like using it. But she needed to get this done and get it done right.

Sakura would just have to fight through the pain.

Suddenly the air grew hot around her as an explosion of pure chakra ripped through her body sending a layer of chakra around her creating a massive circle. Her chakra wrapped everything surrounding her and the moment she felt the circle complete.

The section of the village she was standing in was obliterated.

She estimated that the blast radius was about three kilometers so it was enough to push back even the incoming shinobi and Sakura realized she only had moments to act. Pushing through the pain she made a mad dash for Tsunade body which she enveloped in her chakra to protect her from the blast.

She was close to reaching her but the tightening of her muscles was making it hard for her to move as fast as she knew she needed to. Sakura could feel the chakra of Itachi pushing through the debri and dust towards her. She knew she couldn't kill him with just one blast but she hoped it was enough to slow him down. With his Sharingan he could see through the chaos and destruction she caused. But that was fine, he wouldn't make it in time. If she could just push a little bit further then she would -

Vanish.

Right before his eyes Sakura vanished as her fingers just barely touched Tsunade's body. It took him a moment to recover as Itachi stood wide eyes in the spot that Sakura and Tsunade had just been a second before. He couldn't believe it.

There was nothing.

No lingering traces of her being, no chakra signature, nothing to indicate that she was ever here. He had never seen a chakra blast or a teleportation jutsu like that before and he was sure that Sakura would likely never give him a chance to see again. Before his very eyes Haruno Sakura and successfully invaded and escaped with Tsunade.

And more importantly she has done it alone.

Whatever little girl he thought had died somewhere in a distant land had reammerge with the strength to take out what seemed like the entire village.

Haruno Sakura was alive, and looking around it looked like she took half of Konoha when she left.

xxxx xxxx.


	3. Chapter 3

xxxx xxxx.

She couldn't breath. When her mind finally began to clear it was all Sakura could focus on. Her breathing was laboured and it felt like she was searching for air underwater. Tilting her head to the side she was barely able to make out her surroundings through her blurred vision.

Waterfall Country.

Through her clearing vision she could see that she teleported her and Tsunade to somewhere in Waterfall. It wasn't as far as she hoped she could take them but it was enough distance to allow her a small moments of relief.

She did it.

Sakura survived the unsurvivable and lived to tell the tale.

Laying face down in the tall grassland the effects of her chakra exhaustion were beginning to creep up on her.

 _You're only half way_ , she told herself. They were both still in immediate danger. Low on chakra, in enemy territory, and a still dying Tsunade; Sakura knew that there was no time for her to rest. Glancing to her left she watched her mentor's shallow breathing. Sakura didn't have a chance before but looking at her now she could see the full extent of the damage.

Tsunade was barely recognizable.

Other than her blonde hair matted with blood and the diamond seal on her forehead she could barely see her mentor beneath the bruising.

Slowly pushing herself with what little strength she had, Sakura dragged herself to sit and slowly pull Tsunade's head to rest on her lap. Eight years she had not seen Tsunade and a part of her was in disbelief that she actually held her in her lap.

 _The last time her saw her I was sixteen and happy_ , Sakura thought to herself, and now she was twenty-four and jaded. She didn't notice as she slowly started running her fingers gently through Tsunade's hair, her mind was a million miles away trying to figure out their next steps. Sakura honestly did not think that she would have made it this far. A few moments ago she had resigned herself to death as she battled what would have been all of Konoha. But now in the blink of an eye she now had new possibilities with Tsunade.

She need to think strategically because she knew she had no chakra to spare but that healing Tsunade and finding shelter were her two main priorities. Her options didn't look good, but she had been in worse odds and survived.

Sakura had one plan, and just like all her other it seemed like the best worst option.

She knew one jutsu that she never tried before and because she was so low on chakra it could backfire and do more harm than good. But she knew she needed to try, and as far as she was concerned all of her crazy ideas were unexpectedly successful so far and that gave her a small amount of hope. Of the eight years she spent on the run she had continuously been careful and cautious but in the last few hours it was her recklessness that saved her life.

Sakura slowly laid Tsunade down beside her as she tucked a long piece of her pink hair behind her ear. She kneeled down next to her and placed both her hands against Tsunade's temples. Slowly drawing from the last of her chakra she activated her diamond seal and closed her eyes. Sakura would have to do this slowly if she wanted it to work and with her lack of chakra, her control was more likely to slip if she tried to speed up the process. So like water flooding a dry desert she let a small bit of her life chakra escape through her hands and into Tsunade. Sakura would give Tsunade approximately four years of her life. The jutsu allow her to convert her life source into highly unstable chakra. If she gave up too much she would die and kill Tsunade in the process, if she went too slow or gave too little Tsunade's body would not be able to absorb it.

Four year she estimated, four years of her life turned into chakra would be enough, but it was still just a theory. She had never tried it. Never had reason to think it would come in handy.

But after a few minutes Sakura could start feel the effects in Tsunade's body. The internal wounds that turned her insided into mush were piece by piece healing and regenerating themselves. The swelling around her face was going down and the black and blue bruises that littered her body was beginning to fade.

It was working.

Sakura looked down at she hands marveling at the effects her chakra was having. She had never seen or done anything like this. She would have never thought chakra was capable of such amazing -

She slipped. For a brief moment her concentration broke.

Sakura felt her chakra stop for just a moment but it was enough to break the steady flow she had created. She had done something wrong, broke the jutsu somehow, and the side effects were immediate. Her vision began to blur has her body suddenly went numb causing her hand to slip from Tsunade's temple.

Something went horribly wrong and she was losing consciousness too fast to figure out what happened.

Her winning streak was over and a part of her worried if she had just kill her mentor before her vision went dark.

xxxx xxxx.

This was all more than Kakashi knew how to handle. Too much for even an experienced shinobi like him to take. For most of his life he had lived through battles and missions that lost more people than it saved. He had lost his father, his sensei, and his teammates before he was a Jounin, and as much as he hated to admit it Kakashi had lost more people than he even cared to remember. For a while he had stopped caring, stopped feeling anything close to attachment or emotions and surprisingly enough it had made him a better shinobi. It hurt less when he killed and even less when he lost a comrade. He could come back from missions bloody and broken and feel the same as when he came back from saving a life. Through it all he remained detached. Loss of comrades and teammates barely scratched the surface of what he had already endured. He became numb to it all and for years it worked for him.

Until he got Team Seven.

Kakashi didn't care for them at first. To him they were just three annoying kids. Even ignoring the fact that Naruto was his sensi's child became like second nature to him.

For him it was just another assignment to complete, just another mission that required his attention but not his care. The years slowly went by and after a while their laughter and tears morphed into something. His little team had turned into his family without him even realizing it. Without giving permission Team Seven had slowly broken down the walls around his heart so silently he didn't even realize it had happened until it was to late.

He noticed it years back, when Naruto was severely injured on a mission. Kakashi recognized the feeling of his heart plummeting to his stomach almost immediately. He remembered that feeling as he rushed to reach Naruto's body as he was about to be ambushed. It hurt more than anything he had felt in a long time.

It took him awhile to understand what it was, what these new feelings were.

Kakashi cared.

Against all of his better judgment and training he deeply and irrationally cared for his team. It was so deeply woven into who he now was that he didn't even fight it. Kakashi accepted the truth.

Team Seven was his family. And they would always remain his family.

That was, until the day Sakura left.

He didn't know what to think of that, often tried not to.

Kakashi stood beside Naruto and Sasuke's hospital beds. He wasn't in the village at the time but he could hardly believe the damage when he returned the next day. Sakura had caused one of her teammates to be admitted for chakra exhaustion and 3rd degree burns and the other for a crushed skull and broken eye socket.

Sasuke's injuries were worse then he had ever seen them and it was hard for him to believe that little Haruno Sakura had caused this much damage. The doctors were able to heal most of his skull but the damage sustained to his right eye was irreversible. Sasuke would be the second person in Konoha to wield one Sharingans.

For most shinobi it would have been an asset as it was for Kakashi, but once a person feels the true power of the Sharingan being left with just one was the same as being left with nothing.

Sakura had crushed the entire right side of Sasuke's face and took his eye right along with it.

He looked down at his two broken students wondering if his presence in the village would have changed anything. Officially it was announced that Sakura was detained and imprisoned somewhere in the deep catacombs of the ANBU cells. They told him that it was for the best that the public believe that one individual was not able to so successfully invade and escape the village. Admitting to such a weakness would invite more villages to try their hand against Konoha's defenses. Kakashi didn't agree with the logic but he also didn't necessarily care.

Team 7 was finally reunited and it nearly destroyed Konoha.

xxxx xxxx.


	4. Chapter 4

Consciousness slowly began to seep into her mind as she felt the darkness begin to fade. She could feel it, the dull ache that ran through her muscles as she became more aware of her body. It was like she was submerged deep under water and was slowly beginning to rise to the surface.

Acute cause of chakra exhaustion.

She knew what it was before her mind was even fully alert. In all the years she had been on the run Sakura had made sure to minimize the chances of depleting her chakra reserves to such an extend. It was a hard lesson to learn as someone who grew up pumping their chakra to heal the sick and wounded. However over the years she had been placed in too many situation that called for her to walk away from someones pain so that she could retain her chakra. She wasn't proud of it but she was still alive and that's all that mattered.

Although she was aware of her surrounding Sakura couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. It was like electricity ran through her body every time she attempted to move so for a long while she just laid still listening to her surroundings.

There was the gentle song bluebirds sang in the spring and a light breeze that brought with it the scent of flowers and rain. Waterfall Country was beautiful in the spring and during the years it had become one of her favourite places to visit. It was a dangerous and hostile place but there were moments in the winter where she would dream of spending a spring in Waterfall. Everywhere in the shinobi world was dangerous, but at least Waterfall was beautiful.

From the way the breeze danced over her face and the birds echoed Sakura knew she was in some sort of room. She didn't register it at first but now she felt it; the soft cushion of a futon, the warmth of the blanket that was draped over her body. It helped soothe her aching muscles as she relaxed against the first soft pillow she had rested on in months. It was almost too comfortable for her to comprehend and all she wanted was to let the calm spring air lull her back to the sleep her body so desperately needed.

But reality was always a cruel thing shining its harsh light against the darkness that promised her a restful sleep. Sakura needed to get up. Pain or not, she didn't know how long she had been unconscious for, where she was, and most importantly; how close Konoha was on her trail.

It took a while as she opened her eyes adjusting to the soft glow of the fading afternoon light. Maneuvering herself into a sitting position she looked around the small cabin room she found herself in. Cascading in the golden light of the sunset that was to come the room around her was old and made from dark wood. It had been aged by the heavy rains of Waterfall and other than the futon she was currently resting on there was nothing else in the room. She couldn't sense anyone as she stretched her chakra out searching for life. The cabin was empty and the light hum of chakra around her was from the forest life that surrounded the cabin.

Vulnerable. That's was Sakura was.

For the first time in a long time Sakura felt the dull ache of fear crawl into her heart. She didn't like the feeling, didn't like being the prey in the game of cat and mouse she used to play against Konoha. Getting up from the futon she steadied herself against a wall as she felt her strength begin to return to her body. She had recovered about half of her chakra. Although it wasn't ideal it was still better then before.

Sakura made her way out of the room and through the small cabin. There wasn't much to see. Minimal furniture and no personal belongs of the person who lived here.

 _I should retrace my steps_ , she thought to herself as the memories of her jutsu going wrong was still fresh in her mind. Somewhere deep in the part of her soul where she kept her heartache she knew what if she travelled back to where she first landed she would find Tsunade's dead body.

Sakura knew it wasn't wise to go back but what choice did she have, she needed to know where Tsunade had met her fate, where her final resting place was. She needed to see her one last time and then she knew she could move on. She planned to disappear like she had eight years ago, but this time she had no plans of ever resurfacing.

As she made her way to the door two rapidly approaching chakra signature alerted her that she was no longer alone. It was like all the pain and tightness in her muscles evaporated as she quickly made her way outside. Her style of combat was alway best suited for outdoors so she knew it was best not to get trapped in the close quarters of the cabin.

With half of her chakra Sakura knew she could but up a decent fight. Two against one were not bad odds she thought as she waited for her aislantes to break through the forest canopy.

Her heart began to beat faster as it always did before every battle. Sakura would have to be strategic on how she fought and used her chakra. Her plan was to incapacitate them as soon as she could so that she could get away. She wasn't in the mood for killing or drawing on what little of her chakra she had. Her main objective was to escape and get as far from Konoha as possible.

As the trees thinned Sakura saw a man drop down into the clearing that surrounded the cabin. His age was the first thing that Sakura noticed. He had long gray hair that cascaded past his shoulders and blew in the afternoon wind. She could tell immediately he was a shinobi, and an experienced one at that. It was in the way he carried himself, so similar to the grace of experienced shinobi's like Kakashi or Itachi. It was calm and calculating which immediately putting her on alter.

The man stopped when he saw her waiting outside of the cabin as he stood at the edge of the clearing furthest from where she was. It was quick, and expression she almost missed, but his face seemed surprised for a moment as if he didn't expect to see her. The man had age and experience on his side but that didn't matter to Sakura, all she had to do was touch him with her chakra to leave in incapacitated. Hopefully he was a close range fighter but if not she would just have to be patient and wait for an opening.

Her attention was so trained on the man before her that she almost missed the second person as they stepped out from the forest after him. She turned to see who the other person was when her green eyes caught the hazel ones that stared back at her.

It was like all the air had left her lungs at once leaving her whole body froze.

"Tsunade" she whispered, her voice so weak it could barely be heard over the gentle wind.

It felt like time had stopped. That Sakura was in one of those vivid dreams she had when she first left Konoha. The ones that were so real she woke up in tears because of its clarity, its reminder of everything she had lost. It had been years since she dreamed this vividly, but the Tsunade standing before her looked so real; she could see the green specks of colour in her hazel eyes, the different shade of blonde that ran through her hair. She could see this Tsunade smiling at her as she said her name. _Sakura_ she hears her say and its enough to make her eyes sting with tears because it's all too real.

 _But this isn't real_ , her thoughts whisper, and even as she battles with herself she watched in awe as Tsunade slowly began to walk across the clearing to her. Parts of her screams that this is a genjutsu, that all of this was a lie created by the man in front of her. But she didn't care if it was. Even the most powerful Sharingan couldn't create a Tsunade this beautiful, this alive.

Tsunade walked up to her and slowly reached out to brush the tears that had begun to fall from her face. It was the familiarity of her touch that caused all of Sakura's emotions to well up inside. In another life she remembered Tsunade brushing away her tears when she pushed herself too far, comforting her when she thought she wasn't good enough. But that life died a long time ago and now she was forced to relive the comfort through this warped reality.

Slowly, as if she is afraid Sakura might break, Tsunade cradled her face between her hands and rested their forehead against each other.

It is too much for Sakura to bare so "kai" she softly whispered as she closed her eyes to enjoy the last moments of their embrace. She didn't want to but she knew that this genjutsu had gone too far and it already hurts too much. But it didn't break. She could still feel her. Sakura says it a little louder with more chakra behind it because now this genjutsu had become cruel - but still it didn't break.

Sakura began to think that maybe she wasn't strong enough, that maybe this was a jutsu she had never encountered so she lifted her head and stared at Tsunade one last time before she tried to break whatever horrible jutsu this was again.

Tsunade looked back at her, her eyes brighter than anything Sakura could remembers and a small smile forms against her lips.

"Its real Sakura" she said calmly as she looked into her green eyes. "I'm real".

Sakura looked at her like it is the first time she was actually seeing her, and there were just so many question she had but she could barely speak, barely keep upright. They both watched each other for a while both in awe of the person standing before them. Sakura was the same height as Tsunade now and the older woman couldn't believe the beautiful women that stood before her. Sakura became everything she never thought she would see again.

But for Sakura it was too much. All of this was to much for her to handle.

If there was a way that Sakura could chose death at that moment she knew would because at that moment she knew that this was real. That she was awake, that her jutsu had worked, and she had a living Tsunade in her arms.

Maybe this was worse than a genjutsu, because in a genjutsu she could chose to remember all the beautiful parts of her mentors. Not the ugly reality that was interwoven with her existence.

"Tsunade" Sakura says, her voice thick with all the emotions that swirled inside her. "Let go of me."

It took a moment as Sakura watched the confusion register in Tsunade's face but "let me go" she repeats after a moment her voice dropping the emotions it held earlier.

Tsunade took a step back as the afternoon wind picked up between them. It was odd, she felt like she was standing before someone that resembled the Sakura she knew. But this version of her was so cold, so detached so… different. It was like a mask had settled on Sakura's face hiding all the emotions that were openly on display a moment ago. This wasn't the girl she remembered.

"I am glad your alive" Sakura said her voice feeling empty as she also took a step back her eyes refocusing on the man that still stood in the clearing.

Tsunade was alive, that much was clear to her but the reality was quickly overshadowed by the past. Sakura had done more than she ever thought possible and whatever debt she felt like she owed Tsunade for being her mentor, for making her the person she was; that debt was repaid. It was like a flip had been switched and she went back to the person she had been for the last eight years and Sakura was ready to walk away and try and forget this god awful day. She had already felt more emotions in one day than she had in the past few years. She knew she couldn't dwell on it, that she had to push Naruto's face from her mind, she had to bury the feeling of have Tsunade's arms around her.

She looked at her, watched as the the joy vanished from her face to be replaced with confusion, but Sakura knew she couldn't care.

"Konoha's forces will be on your trail. Be sure to stay away from major villages and roads" she said. "Keep your healing abilities to a minimum because they will track reports of medic-nin's first so it would be wise to refrain from helping people".

"Sakura what are you -"

"It was good seeing you" Sakura interrupted, lightly resting her hand on Tsunade's shoulder.

She started to move past Tsunade's stunned expression while keeping an eye on the man casually stool in the clearing. He had not moved during their entire encounture so it was clear that he did not want to engage in a fight. Sakura was thankful for that. The more chakra she got to keep the faster she could lose Konoha's trail.

She looked back at Tsunade who was staring at her, the hurt on her face evident. It wasn't her place, but Sakura hoped Tsunade would one day understand. That she would know that this isn't the life she wanted but the one that she was chosen for her and looking at Tsunade's face brought back too many emotions of rage and heartache.

A part of her would miss her dearly, probably more now that she had held her in her arms, but Sakura had left a lot behind already and although it would hurt she knew she could leave Tsunade behind too.

Sakura stared at Tsunade's face one last time committing the memory to her mind.

"Goodbye Tsunade-sama" she whispered. _Forever_ was the part she said to herself.

xxxx. xxxx


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author Notes:**_

 **Hello to all of my wonderful and amazing readers. I don't usually add notes to my chapters but I thought for the 5th chapter of my first ever story I would make an exception. I wanted to say that first I am not a writer, in fact this is the first story I have ever put to paper, so I wanted to thank everyone who has ever read, favourited, followed, or accidentally clicked on this story. It was supposed to be a short fic but the plot and the characters continue to grow in my head and as long as that keeps happening I'll keep writing.**

 **Thank you for the reviews! I always read other authors saying that it's the best part of writing and it really is. I'd love to know what you think, or where you think the story is going, and if you guys want faster plot development. There is a lot more to come and I plan to keep a regular update because my favourite stories were always the ones I didn't have to wait too long for.**

 **All the best and enjoy!**

* * *

Her rage.

It was all that had driven her for so long that it was part of her, it had become part of the blood that ran through her body. She could feel it, even in her sleep she could feel the slow hum of rage that travelled through her robbing her of sleep. But now she felt the rage shift, felt it morph into something so profounding different as she walked away from Tsunade. It was what her rage was protecting her from, making her numb to.

It was heartbreak.

Sakura was heartbroken.

She knew the feeling well, felt it in moments and in glimpse when her rage faded. Her rage for so long masked her heartbreak but felt it now, raw and uncut, pieces of her heart so sharp they would wound her if she tried to put them back together.

Her emotions was always her achilles heel. They had a way of overwhelming every part of her, even the parts that only fought for survival. It was her panic that initially caused her to race towards Konoha. Her panic that momentarily made her forget everything she worked hard to create. It was her inability to control her emotions that lead her down the path she currently walked.

Over the years Sakura worked hard to become a different kind of shinobi. She was not like the ones that fought for power or money, Sakura only ever sought information. In a world where information was the deciding factor between life and death Sakura took her time cultivating one of the most expansive information networks in the shinobi world. The _Spider_ they would whisper. It was the name of her network. The name of the mysterious person or people who all information seemed to flow to. After leaving Konoha information became her weapon and like webs woven into the ground Sakura could hear anything she wanted to if she pulled on the right threads. It was the secret to her success, how she disappeared from Konoha's radar and how she stayed one step ahead of them. She listened to the whispers of the shinobi world and planned her moves according. It was a dangerous profession, more dangerous than just being a missing nin, but information gave her a level of comfort nothing else could. With it she knew who her enemies were before they knew who she was. It made up for the time when information was used against her but she learned from her mistake, fine tuned it into an artform, and turned her webs of whispers into a masterpiece.

Information always worked for her until one day it didn't. Until the day whispers reached her ears that a major village was going to overthrow their leader, that pieces that had long been dormant were again in play. She knew what it meant because she has been in the game to long. Konoha was finally going after Tsunade.

Sakura left that day. She was in Rain working on a mission when the news reached her. She was far but it was her panic that pushed her and convinced her that even though she was far she would make it. That she knew ways to pass through borders undetected.

As she neared the border of Fire Country her panic gave way to rage and her rage turned into adrenaline as she faced what she thought would be all of Konoha. But all of that was gone now. When the panic had settled, the rage gone, and the adrenaline drained from her body; what was she left with?

She was left with Naruto's face, Tsunade's eyes, the smell of Konoha still fresh in her mind. Sakura was left only with heartbreak as she walked away.

She ran to Tsunade because her delusions let her believe that if she made it in time she could forgive Tsunade. That by risking everything to go back to Konoha she could find a way to reconcile with her past, to maybe start again.

That was her dream.

It was what pushed her when her muscles ached running from Rain to Konoha. Sakura thought that maybe she could begin again, she could find the girl she once was, the girl she loved being. If she could save Tsunade that was the key to finding herself again.

At least that what she told herself, what she continued to tell herself. And for a while it was easy to believe in her delusions when she thought she wasn't going to make it in time, or when she held Tsunade unconscious and broken body in her lap. It was easy to believe in the narrative she created for herself. But the spell broke and reality sank in when she saw Tsunade alive. Watching the way her hazel eyes sparkled and her diamond seal stand out against her forehead, the same seal she was branded with, it turned out her dream of redemption wasn't enough for her to forgive. Looking at Tsunade brought back the fact that there was no way to change the past, no way to find the girl she once was. There was too much history to move on from and nothing to go back to.

Sakura could feel Tsunade's chakra approaching as she made her way through the forest. She hoped that Tsunade would understand and leave her alone but a bigger part of her knew that would never happen.

"Sakura stop" Tsunade yelled after her.

Sakura didn't stop, her steps never even hesitating. It was always going to be one step in front of the other and alway away from Konoha.

She felt the surge of chakra a moment before she was able to dodge the fist that was aimed for her head. She landed on a nearby branch as she turned to face Tsunade. Sakura knew what Tsunade was trying to do. When she was younger and her and her mentor couldn't understand each other through words they used their fist. It usually ended in Sakura on her back broken and bruised but every once in a while she was victorious and it was those victories she clung to. It was why she always accepted Tsunade's challenges. But Sakura wasn't that girl anymore and she didn't need her fist to talk for her.

She saw the next chakra ladened punch almost in slow motion. She wasn't in the mood to pretend that their old forms of communication still worked for her, so she easily dodged it, flipping over Tsunade to land effortlessly behind her.

"What do you want from me Tsunade" Sakura said emotionless as Tsunade's fist met air. It was a front, Sakura knew that, but she was never one to show weakness in front of her mentor.

Tsunade looked back at her and for a moment all she could do was stare at Sakura. She was so vastly different from the Sakura she knew, the Sakura that was basically a daughter to her. This woman was cold, her eyes calculating and detached. She had never seen that look on Sakura and it was hard for her to reconcile the past girl she knew with the women presently staring back at her.

"I looked for you, you know" Tsunade said softly.

Sakura continued to look at her unmoved by the sudden change in tone.

"I looked for you...even when they told me to stop, that you were most likely dead, I still looked for you. I sent search parties to places Konoha shinobi had never been just so I could find your body". "And Naruto..." her voice cracked as she continued, "he lead every mission until he was forced to stop. Until they caught him leaving the village in the middle of the night to look for you."

"I think you broke him Sakura" she said softly.

It was unfair to use Naruto against her and Tsunade knew that but she stared into Sakura eyes hoping that something would give, that her mask would slip.

"He isn't the same boy you left behind, I think you took a part of him with you when you left. A part that he's still looking for. And you were alive… this whole time you've been alive"

It was hard for Sakura as she tried to control her breathing and remain neutral. It was hard for both of them to stand facing each other talking about the people they broke along the way.

"What do you want from me" Sakura repeated her voice a little strained as she tried to contain her emotions.

"I want to know why."

"Why what", Sakura replied sharply.

"Why you -"

"You know Tsunade" Sakura interrupted, "I don't want to do this with you. I don't want to have to stand here and listen to you as if you are some innocent bystander in the pain I supposedly caused. You know why I left, why I did everything I did".

"No I don't know" Tsunade replied for voice raising. "Not fully, you never stayed to tell me the full story. Sure I put pieces together after you left but most of it Sakura… if you had stayed" she said as she pointed to the forest around them, "none of this would have happened".

"If I had stayed" Sakura countered, her anger also raising as she stared down Tsunade. "Do you think I wanted this, do you think I wanted to leave everything I had ever known behind to be a missing nin. Don't play stupid with me Tsunade" she scoffed. "What assurance did you give me. I would have been killed the same way they tried to kill you. Don't you see. You are the reason all of this happened, you were the one that was blind to the things happening in the village you controlled. You, you sorry excuse of a Hokage, was the one that let all of this happen! You let me take the blame for a problem you were too blind to see, you are the one that lead us down the path we both walk today". She was yelling, she knew she shouldn't, but even if she wanted to she couldn't stop.

Sakura could feel Tsunade's fury in the waves of chakra that emanated off of her. But why should she care, what was Tsunade's rage compared to hers. What was Tsunade failures compared to the people she had failed. It was like comparing raindrops to a storm, what Sakura had been through was a million times worse. What she was still going through was worse.

"And what is that supposed to mean" Tsunade spat back.

"It means you had a chance to act against the council eight years ago when you still had a chance".

"Sakura…"

"No, we are done talking" Sakura said sharply as she turned to move past Tsunade.

"You don't get to walk away from me" Tsunade called after her as she flash stepped in front of Sakura. "This is not how this conversation ends!"

They stood face to face both heaving from all that was said and all the words that were still left unspoken.

"I didn't know Sakura. Back then it all happened so fast. If I just had more -"

"Time" Sakura said finishing her sentence.

"If only I had given you more time right" she repeated taking a step closer to Tsunade as her chakra began to swirl around her. "But that's what I did Tsunade, I gave you as much time as I could. I trusted you so fully and so blindly and you know that I got for it" her voice continued to rise cracking with the emotions she was working hard to suppress. "I lost everything!"

It was the sudden grief in her voice that caught Tsunade off guard.

"Sakura…"

"No! You don't get to look at me like you understand Tsunade. I was your student, your legacy. I idolized you, did everything you ever wanted of me and exceed your every expectation. But when I needed you to trust me the way I trusted you, to believe in me the way I believed in you, you told me you needed time" the tear began to freely fall down her face as she continued. She couldn't contain her tears this time so she didn't even bother wiping them away. "I told you that I was in trouble, that I was in way over my head, that I couldn't tell you yet and I needed you to trust me… but time, you needed time".

"And you know what it cost me!" She didn't know when it happened but she gathered chakra into her hand and pushed Tsunade clear across the forest.

"My family Tsunade!"

"Do you understand that" Sakura said stalking after her as hazel and green eyes clashed, "they killed my family. The murdered my father. My mother suddenly went 'missing'. They tried to kill me because I knew too much, I had given them too long to connect everything back to me".

She could barely get the words out but she continued.

"Did you expect me to wait for you. You, my mentor... who I loved, my mentor... who taught me everything I knew. Trusting you cost me my family Tsunade" she sobbed.

Suddenly everything became too much for her as she opened the part of her soul she had locked away eight year ago. It was like she was reliving the death of her parents all over again and no one, not even Tsunade or Naruto were worth this level of pain.

"Sakura…" Tsunade began as she rose to her feet but for the life of her she didn't know what to say next so the words died before they were spoken. She watched as Sakura trembled trying to control her emotions, but the guilt that Tsunade had to ignore all these years felt like it was slowly eating her alive again. She knew her role in this mess, but listening to Sakura, watching her break down in front of her it was too much to bare. Konoha was broken because she wasn't strong enough or smart enough to know what her own council was doing under her nose. And here was Sakura, a manifestation of all her failures because she saw what Tsunade couldn't. She unearthed the underbelly of Konoha's dark past.

"I can't do this Tsunade" she heard Sakura's broken voice through her thoughts, "not with you".

At that moment it didn't matter if Tsunade understood because there were no words that Sakura knew that could describe her pain. The grief and sadness that followed her around like shadow that even the cover of night didn't give her relief too.

There were no more words to be said, no more delusions to believe in. This was the end. Sakura had reached her limit so before she broke she disappeared from the forest and away from Tsunade.

She was done being broken by her past.


	6. Chapter 6

There were few things in this world that could make a man as distinguished and revered as Hyuuga Hiashi uncomfortable, but sitting in the Hokage's desk with the waiting eyes of his newly appointed council was definitely one of those few instances. It made his skin crawl and he absolutely hated it. He was still getting use to the position, a position so vastly different then his previous role as the head of the Hyuuga Clan, but he knew from the first day he was 'elected' that the Hokage's seat was never meant for him. Hiashi had always been a quiet man that enjoyed quiet things. His predawn meditation, the afternoon tea he had in the garden, the calm and quiet demeanor of his clan. He had been breed since birth to excel in his role as clan leader, a role he enjoyed and now greatly missed. He didn't crave power the same way other clan leader did, nor did he like the constant chaos that was his office. Everytime he blinked there was more paperwork and as soon as he dismissed one person someone else came rushing is with another urgent matter.

He wasn't suited for this job.

Hokage was never a title he yearned for and the idea of having his face carved in the Hokage mountain still made his skin crawl. He was chosen by the previous council when they ousted Tsunade and with the unrest brought on by Haruno Sakura's attack he didn't have a chance to decline the position. Konoha needed a Hokage and Hyuuga Hiashi had unexpectedly found himself as the Sixth Hokage of Konoha.

"The reports have been inconclusive" one of the council members said breaking the silence that had fallen on the room. "Tsunade-sama's body has not been found nor has there been any word on the whereabouts of Haruno Sakura".

Hiashi knew that this would be the case but it didn't make his disappointment in the lack results any better. The interrogation team had determined Tsunade to be dead minutes before Sakura appeared however without a body and with the girl's mastery of medical ninjutsu he couldn't rule out the fact that Tsunade was still somehow alive. It had already been three months since the attack and they were no closer to finding the girl and it was starting to make his council nervous. How could an individual brazzen enough to attack the village head one disappear without a trace. There was nothing to go on, no new leads to follow, and now they were back to square one.

He looked at the new faces of the council, the newly appointed members that took the place of the ones that died during Sakura's attack. They were young, far younger than he had been when he was appointment to the council, but they were also some of the most talented shinobi's the village had seen in generations. Uchiha Itachi and Nara Shikamaru were among the youngest of the group, both hailing from powerful clans and prodigies in their own right. They had taken the positions of their fathers who in light of recent events had decided to stay in their roles as clan head. They had chosen to protect their clan, a choice Hiashi wished he could make too. He didn't like the idea of having new members part of his council, he didn't know the three new members personally the same way he knew his Hyuuga men. They weren't bound to him by blood so their loyalty could never be guaranteed. He was surrounded by men he didn't trust in a position he never wanted and in a village that was more fragile than it had been in a long time. He knew he would have to try and earn their respect and trust differently than the way he earned it with his clan but there were so many uncertainties. The biggest obstacle being Shimura Danzo. Hiashi had long been aware of the existence of Root but even as Hokage their activities still eluded him. It unnerved him that a man outside of himself could wield such influence therefore he knew that he needed to keep a close eye on him because history was the best of teachers and he knew that the seat of Hokage was no longer as secure as it once had been.

* * *

Itachi left the meeting as quietly as he had entered. It had been a long day and the meeting was no different to all of the other ones they had. Haruno Sakura's whereabouts were unknown and the villagers were still being feed the same line that she was captured and imprisoned. Itachi knew that the lie wasn't working, not with the way the villagers whispered when they didn't know he was listening. He knew that they were starting to believe less in the story told to them. There were just too many obvious hole. Too many inconsistencies for a village full of shinobi's to believe in.

He was tried, he had been for a long time, and all he wanted to do was go home and rest. Itachi wasn't as stoic and indifferent as many believe him to be, he wasn't unreceptive to the emotions and thoughts of others. He knew the look of disdain on the Hokage's face after he was called into another meeting, the subtle frown when he was asked a foolish question; Hokage-sama hated his new role and it gave Itachi some relief because he hated it as well. His new position on the council added more commitments to his already busy life and he couldn't figure a way out of it. Itachi was already a top ranking ANBU Captain, he had never ending obligations as the clan heir, and with the new work brought on by the council the concept of sleep was something he had long forgotten about.

It bothered him, although he would never show it, to hold so many high level positions that often pulled him in contradicting positions. With ANBU he was charged with the task of finding the Haruno girl, with the clan elders constantly wanted this ear one issue or another. " _You are the next in line",_ they would argue when he urged them away, " _Your insight into these matters is crucial"._ But it was the Hokage's council that proved to be the most troublesome. Itachi was a highly intelligent and skilled shinobi and there were very few things that ever eluded him intellectually. But the way the Hokage and Danzo spoke in riddles when he was around, the look that his father and the other clan leaders shared during their brief interaction in the village. Itachi knew he was missing something. There were reasons to people's actions he couldn't quite understand like his father's refusal of the Hokage's position. He knew that the previous council had approached his father before they had gone to Hyuuga Hiashi but what he didn't understand was why he turned it down. All his life his father had lectured on about the importance of Uchiha bloodline, the inherited power passed on from one generation to the next and how the title of Hokage was the ultimate sign of power. A title feared by many in the shinobi world. Yet given the chance to write a new chapter of the Uchiha legacy, to secure their lineage in history, his father walked away. Gave the power to his greatest rival and in turn raised Itachi's suspensions. There was a piece to the puzzle that he didn't know and a part of him wondered if the Haruno girl was that piece.

He was consumed by his thoughts as late afternoon sun carried with it a light breeze that broke through the thick summer heat on his way home home. It was a rare moment of solitude in weeks that barely allowed him a moment of rest and the calming air relaxed the tension in his muscles and gave him a brief moment of relief. Lost in his thoughts Itachi saw the hospital appear ahead of him as his eyes trailed up to the window of his brother's room. Sasuke was another issue that sometimes plagued his thoughts. His brother had yet to be released from the hospital because he was being stubborn and didn't want to do the mandatory physiotherapy sessions to help him regain his strength. His pride wouldn't allow him to seek help, even if it way for his own good. A part of him wanted to go into the hospital to see him. To try and ration or beat some sense into him. It would have been easy, to just let his feet guide him to where his injured brother lay, but they weren't the brothers they once were and Itachi couldn't bring himself to care. He had not been to visit his brother once since he was admitted and as the breeze faded and the heat picked up he knew there would be no use starting now.

Itachi had a more pressing issue to deal with. A problem that was outside of his work as a captain, clan heir, or even a council member.

He needed to find Tsunade.

A lot of things had gotten in the way of the meticulous plan he had come up with, things that no amount of preparation could have foreseen. He had not planned on the council going after Tsunade while he was away on a mission or the sudden and unexpected appearance of Sakura. He didn't want to admit it, even in his own thoughts, but Sakura intervention had inadvertently saved his plan. His goal was still possible. Without her even realizing it she gave him a second chance. A moment of reprieve. Itachi rarely miscalculated, rarely made a mistake, but when it came to Sakura he had already been surprised by her twice.

He knew what he had to do, it would be a little more complicated with his position in the council, but Itachi knew this was his one chance to get it right.

Itachi needed to meet with Tsunade.

* * *

Her sleep hadn't been restful and Sakura wondered if paying a little extra for a better mattress in the inn she was staying at was even worth it. She barely slept these days often relying on soldier pills and chakra to help alleviate the symptoms of sleep deprivation. It had been three months since she had walked away from Tsunade in that forest and her nights were again full of the nightmares that plagued her when she first left the village. At night it felt like she was back to being the frightened sixteen year old girl that jumped at every shadow she saw because she feared it was Konoha shinobi. It had taken her a week to feel like herself again and have her chakra back at full capacity. Her first four days she spent resting and trying refuel her chakra reserves but the last three days - well the last three she spent resting from the emotional turmoil she had been through. At first it was easy to fall back into the routine she had created for herself, to go back to taking missions and meeting with informants but after a few weeks of being back in her old life the nightmares started up. The dreams weren't of anything specific, she dreamt of everything and nothing at the same time. There were times when she was wounded while being chased by unknown figures and other times when her body felt like it was in a constant state of freefall into a dark abyss. Her nights had become restless as she laid awake waiting for the small rays of light to brighten the sky so that she could get up and start her day.

It was ironic because she used to love the nights, it was her favourite part of the day. Nights were when her and her father would stay up late in her room whispering stories to each other. Nights were when her father would bring her a cup of tea after she lost a patient and they would sit in the living room comforted by each others presence. It was at night when they would sneak out after her mother had gone to sleep and go to the small ice cream parlor on the other side of the village that was open late and eat their treats in the park. Night time had always been wrapped in the memories of her father so that even though he was gone the cool night air reminded her everything she once had. The father that had once held her.

The nightmares however robbed her of that joy and left her yearning for the sun to break through the horizon. She waited for the sun to ride her of the shadows that chased her in the night, but in doing so she lost the memories of her father when the darkness faded.

Sakura got up from the bed that had provided her no comfort and made her way to the washroom. Today was going to be her last day in Rain as she had a mission coming up in Stone that was a few days travel. She didn't really like Stone, it was dangerous and the weather was always dreary, but the mission was high paying and after keeping a low profile for a while she needed a high paying assignment.

She looked at herself in the mirror staring at a woman she didn't recognize. Short black hair, black eyes, a slightly wide set nose and a scar on the corner of her right lip, Sakura watched the reflection of the stranger's face she had chosen yawn and rub the sleep from of her eyes. It was a useful trick she had pick up while she was in Suna a few months after she left Konoha. Her bright pink hair and green eyes were like a calling card to any missing nin that wanted to make quick money by taking her out. The reward for her capture or death was listed as one of the highest in the Bingo Book so she always had to worry about more than just Konoha looking for her. Becoming invisible was hard and the constant strain of maintaining a genjutsu was taking a toll on her body. But in Suna Sakura had learned a trick from a brothel she had been forced to stake out for a mission which provided her a solution to her problem.

The lady who ran the brothel had men lining outside of her doors all day and all throughout the night. It was different then the brothel Sakura had seen before that were broken down and in the outskirts of a village. But this one was so vastly different, it was well built and located near a bustling neighbourhood. There were no signs on the door, no way to distinguish it from the any other building around it, but every day without fail there was a line of men waiting for their chance to get in. She spent weeks staking it out waiting for her target and in that time she heard bit and pieces of the pleasures that existed beyond the door. The brothel owner would promise any man his dream girl if he just told her what they were looking for. Sakura watched in interest as men would list of girls with different and exotic features: dark skin with red hair, fair skin with yellow eyes like the sun, classic beauties with long black hair and dark eyes. The men listed everything, some men listed past loved ones and other came up with features she was sure didn't exist naturally. But to her surprise one by one each man was met with the exact replica he had asked for a few moments later. It wasn't part of her mission and it was one hell of a gamble, but Sakura had never seen anything like this in her time outside of Konoha. It took her a few more weeks to make the necessary connections while keeping a low profile but after a while she was finally granted an audience with the Head Mother that ran the show.

She knew she would have one chance to get this right so she went with a genjutsu that concealed her features. Brown eyes and brown hair, Sakura made herself ordinary, a blank canvas that the woman could shape into whatever she wanted. But it was like the woman saw through her the moment she walked in and kicked her out as soon as she entered the brothel.

"I was promised a beautiful girl with rare features" she said in a raspy tone, her voice damaged from years of smoking that made the brothel smell like it was lit with a million little cigars.

"I can be beautiful" Sakura said calmly as she dodge the arms of the men that were trying to escort her out of the room. "I can be anything you want" she whispered gently as she made her way to the lady. Sakura knew what she was doing, who she had to be for this to work. She heard the hushed voice of the women that worked in the brothel about what the men enjoyed, what they paid a lot of money to see. The types of girls that they wanted. To succeed in this brothel a women would have to be able to become be anything the men wanted, and Sakura she just wanted to know how.

The woman grabbed Sakura's face and brought her closer to her to see if she missed something. If the confidence this girl gave off was indeed something she could use. Anyone could be beautiful, but only a few girls could become someone's fantasy.

"Show me" the woman said, blowing smoke into Sakura's face.

"Tell your men to leave" she replied evenly.

The woman looked at her amused before she quickly nodded to her guards to exit. Once they left the room she let go of Sakura and walked back to sit on one of the many plush cushions that lined the room.

Curiosity filled her eyes before she nodded for her to continue. Sakura had managed to gain the woman's attention and she knew she needed to work in order to keep it. So slowly like she was the smoke that circled around in the dark room, Sakura twirled around gradually running her fingers through her hair slowly dispelling her justus. Her stringy brown hair gave way to long flowing pale pink locks that cascaded down her shoulders stopping at the dip in her back. Almost lazily she turned around to look at the woman who was enthralled at the little show Sakura was putting on. She continued slowly running her finger down her face turning her brown eyes a bright shade of emerald green and her skin gaining back its healthy golden tan.

"I want to know" Sakura said dropping the tone of her voice. "How you can make any girl turn into every girl", she said as she walked up to woman and knelt before her never breaking eye contact.

"Teach me", she whispered her voice low.

The woman stared at Sakura for a long time before breaking out into a light raspy chuckle. " _You my darling are going to be my greatest prize_ ".

That had been seven years ago and since then she had perfected the trick in ways that would have made that old woman jealous. Forget become any man fantasy, Sakura had learned how to change her face into anyone, how to give herself scars and birthmarks, things that the brothel owner could only dream of.

Sakura was a girl of many faces and for Stone she was going to have to transform herself into the young daughter of a rich lord. Maybe this time she would be inspired by the classic beauty of Hinata or the allure of Ino, or maybe she was going to think of an entirely new look. Transforming into people was one of the few things she found fun, one of the few things that she liked to do. It became her was of seeking normalcy in a world that was out to get her.

After her mission in Stone she would head over to Earth to meet with an informant. It was like her life had gone back to the twisted sense of normal it had been for the past few years and as she washed her face, packed her things, and made her way out of the inn Sakura realized that she never knew she could miss this life of solitude.


	7. Chapter 7

The air was cleaner then she remembered it being. Strong gusts of wind brought with it the smell of early morning dew that hung in the air of the cliffside she was currently standing on. It was nice. One of the nicest place she had been to in a long time with the thick green trees covering the entire mountain side reminding her of the forest of Konoha. Sakura had been in Earth longer then she had anticipated and longer then she felt comfortable with. She wasn't worried that she was in immediate danger but it was her years on the run that caused her to be agitated when she stayed in one place to long.

Earth Country was full of mercenaries just trying to make a living taking missions that villages couldn't send their shinobi on therefore it was easy for Sakura to blend in with the sea of faces that came and went from the village nestled within the cliffside. It was a hard place to get to so civilians never really left and shinobi's rarely like the journey this far from the borders of their villages. It was a beautiful little sanctuary at the edge of the known world, or at least that how Sakura saw it. When the early morning sun lit the valley below in its soft light and turning the sky into shade of pink more beautiful than her hair, she knew she would like to here the first time she came. And Maybe one day she hoped she could retire in this little village and live of the rest of her life watching the sun rise and set between the mountains peaks. It was a nice dream, a nice option to have for someone how rarely thought of her future. But sometimes, in secret, she liked to dream. To dream of a future where she wasnt always running from her past.

The village didn't have a name that she knew off and it was so small that it could be barely considered one. But somehow she had been in the village for more than a month which was the longest time she had ever spent in one place. Her mission ran longer than she expected in Stone and her informant had left before she was able to meet with them so now she was stuck waiting for them to make it back to their rendeavour spot.

It wasn't like Sakura to wait, to give people another chance. She had often walked away from meetings if the person was more that thirty seconds late. It was just who she was. She respected time, knew how precious is was, so if a person was late she left them. She was always like that, even when she was in Konoha and a patient was late to their appointment she just scheduled them. Time was one of the few things one could never get back. Once it was gone, it was gone forever and she was never one to play with such a precious gift.

But for Rie, for Rie she could wait. She could have all the time in the world and it would not bother rarely saw each other, their lives pulling them in different directions, so when Sakura received a message from Rie saying she wanted to meet she would always rearrange her schedule to make it work.

It worked well, they worked well, even if they were worlds apart. Meeting Rie had been a chance encounter that had changed her life. It was like meeting a different part of her, a missing piece of herself she didn't know was gone. It was like Rie had become her Nartu… she stopped herself before her thoughts brought him up. It was easy because they were so alike that one would remind her of the other, but it wasn't the same, they weren't the same and it was like she constantly had to remind herself to keep those to parts of her life separate. The past and present. They couldn't touch, could never meet. Not even in her own mind.

It wouldn't be long. In a few days Rie would be here and they would be with each other for a short time. By now she would have heard about what Sakura did in Konoha and this was without a doubt going to start another lecture about her recklessness, but Sakura would take it. Any chance to see that girl was worth whatever fight they were bound to get it into. They would always fight and make up. It was who they were. It was like breathing. In a short time Rie had become her everything, the one thing left she could trust, the one person not tainted by her past. She was the one person Sakura could be herself with, the one person she allowed herself to laugh with. Rie was like the air that blew between the mountains bringing the scent of summer along with it.

A small smile framed her lips as she turned away from the rising sun to walk back into the village. For the first time in a long time Sakura had something to look forward to.

She walked through the market as the food vendors were still setting up their carts for the morning rush that was to come. This early in the morning sleep still clung to their faces so they didn't greet her as she walked by. Her cabin was located near the back of the village off of a road that was barely used except for the children that went to and from school. It was quiet and no one bothered her so her days were full of the soft laughter of children as they ran by and her nights full of calm sounds from the fire that kept her warm. She needed to buy a few things before Rie came, a few extra things she would need around the house because she didn't know how long Rie would be able to stay. Two weeks was the longest they had ever spent together and that was almost four years ago.

High above the trees in the late afternoon Sakura sat hidden within the canopy as she watched the weekly ships dock on the harbour. The ships came once a week from neighbouring villages to bring goods to sell to the locals. It wasn't a lot and the village still lacked many of the main necessities required for them to function properly but the little settlement nestled between the mountains rarely cared for the outside world.

The children clammered around the ships as they watched the men unload the crates and would whispers of the mystical things that lived inside. Rie was to be on one of these ships, it was in her letter Sakura had received a few days ago and similar to the children she could feel the familiar buzz of excitement take her over. She hadn't seen her yet as more ships docked and the children ran around bumping into men and boxes. Rie would be here, she always was exactly where she said she would be so Sakura just had to wait a little while longer.

There was a break in the chaos before she saw it, a small pause in the movement below but Sakura saw a face that she could recognize from anywhere. Her hair had grown since that last time they had met, it was past her shoulders and stopped just below her bust. Sakura remembered Rie saying that she was going to grow her hair out to be longer that Sakura's and at the time Sakura just laughed. She didn't like longer hair but no matter how much or how often she cut it her hair always grew back, so after a while she stopped and just kept it in a long braid that fell past her waist. Rie however had kept her black hair short her whole life. She was often mistaken for a boy from behind however one day when they were eating breakfast before they both had to depart she declared that she would grow her hair out like Sakura the next time they met. Sakura thought it was a joke, but looking at her now she couldn't believe that the boyish girl she had come to think of as a sister could look so differently because she grew out her hair. She would have been unrecognizable if it wasn't for the fact that Sakura was so in tune with her and that she could pick out Rie heartbeat from within a crowd.

She watched her smiling as Rie continued her animated conversation with a person standing behind her. Sakura's chakra was well hidden within the trees as she began to stand to make her way to the docks below. It was going to be nice to have Rie around, at least after she got past her usual yelling at Sakura carelessness. But she didn't mind, a part of her missed the nagging almost as much as she missed her. It was the first time Sakura felt relaxed in months - but then she saw it.

She felt her heart stop suddenly because standing behind Rie politely nodding to whatever she had said was the one person who could ruin everything Sakura worked so hard for … Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

It was as if he had felt something for a split second, something that made him want to drop down into his fighting stance. It was like one second he was alerted to a powerful chakra signature within the trees and the next second it was gone. If it had been anyone other than him they would probably not have noticed it, but Itachi had been on alert the moment he stepped out of Konoha and his sense were sometimes sharper that his Sharingan.

He politely turned his attention back to the young woman standing beside him while he used his chakra to probe for anything unusual in the area. It was odd but whatever it was had vanished as quickly as it appeared. The young women was still talking although he had missed most of what she said but she had been talking to him for most of the last leg of his journey. The ship to the village was quite small and between the men that were scared of him and the ones that were secretly trying to challenge him, Itachi found himself unexpectedly in the company of this young woman travelling to the same village he was to visit her friend. She didn't fawn over him like the women in Konoha would, nor did she mention in any of their interactions the notion of marriage. She was different in ways he wasn't use to. She was kind and witty and most importantly did not constantly seek his attention. In the week that they were on the ship together they would occasionally share lunch and a few times play a surprisingly challenged game of shogi. Itachi always won, but there were a few times that he was sure she had forfeited the game to him.

The village was where they were going to part ways as she planned on staying for a few days and Itachi planned on continuing forward. Rie, who he embarrassingly after the fourth day had to ask for her name because she had never given it, never inquired about his plans nor did he ask about hers and a part of him would miss having simple interactions with a person who wanted nothing from him. There was no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda. Just a fellow traveler on a boat to past the time with.

"Itachi would you like to have lunch before you depart". Rie had called him by his name from the first day he had met her and he had eventually given up from pursuing her that he shouldn't call her by her first name as well.

"I am afraid I can not I have to…"

"Itachi we didn't eat lunch on the boat and I know your hungry because I am starving, so how about we have a late lunch and then you can go on your way".

"Rie…"

"I am not taking no for an answer", she continued.

Itachi looked at her for a moment, the way her defiance rolled off of her like someone who always got what they wanted. Itachi didn't know Rie well but he knew she probably did always get what she wanted.

After a moment he nodded and moved to pick up her bags from the dock as they made their way into the city.

"Okay great. I'm assuming because this is a port village that would have some really good… oh Asumi!", Rie yelled.

"Asumi over here" she began to bounce back and forth trying to gain the attention of a girl in front of her.

Itachi didn't see her at first, the dock was still very crowded but as soon as the people parted he saw a woman around Rie's age with long brown hair and sapphire blue eyes calmly waving back at her. Without hesitation Rie ran forward to embrace the girl who stumbled back by the impact.

"Oh I have missed you Asumi" Rie laughed as she hugged her.

"I have missed you to Rie" the girl replied calmly.

Itachi walked up and gently placed Rie's bags on the floor beside her, "I see you have found your friend. I will be going now, it was a pleasure to meet you Rie".

"Oh that's nonsense Itachi we still have to have lunch. Asumi must know a good food place to eat right" she said turning to look at her friend expectedly.

Asumi looked at Rie and that back at Itachi and calmly nodded. "There is a good Ramen stall not to far from here".

"That great. Come on Itachi its going to be great. One last meal than your on your way I promise".

Itachi looked at her slightly annoyed for the first time by her constant insistence but he was bred to be polite so he calmly nodded as he picked up the bags and followed the women into the village.

* * *

Sakura focused on keeping her heart beat and her breathing calm. It was a series of unfortunate circumstances that currently lead her to be walking down the village streets with Rie and Itachi like old friends catching up. She knew she had to get Rie from the port because it was one of their many signals that they had between each other. If for some reason Sakura had not shown up at the port than Rie would have taken it as a sign that something had gone wrong and would have tired to return on one of the ships leaving the dock. That probably would have altered Itachi that something was wrong, that Rie wasn't the sweet talking girl he thought she was if she immediately turned around and left. There were too many possible things that could have gone wrong but from the way Itachi had regarded her politely she could assume that he didn't suspect it was her. She didn't know him to well but Sakura's perfect chakra control and years of experience meant that she would be able to pass by him undetected as long as she didn't do anything to raise his suspension. Rie, for as talkative as she was and an excellent liar and would never relieved Sakura's identity, therefore all she had to do is get Rie's attention and hopefully excuse themselves before anything happened.

The ramen stall was small and barely fit the three of them with Rie's luggage. Sitting on the side next to Rie and farthest from Itachi, Sakura barely paid attention the conversation as she ran through all the possible scenarios in her head.

"Itachi why don't you stay the night" she heard Rie ask completly gaining her attention. Sakura didn't want to look up because for the most part she was doing her best to avoid prolonged eye contact with him but she tried her hardest not to kick Rie under the table.

"I am sorry but I must decline your offer, I have to get going" he replied finishing off the last of his Ramen and putting down enough money to cover the entire bill.

"Well it was a pleasure to meet you Itachi" Rie said standing up to give him a small formal bow.

Itachi nodded, "Rie, Asumi-san I wish you both a safe trip".

Sakura nodded and turned to finish the rest of her food while Rie kept watching Itachi's figure retreat.

"Ugh! Wasn't he beautiful Asumi"

"Rie" Sakura smiled, "he could still probably hear you".

Turning beet red Rie quickly turned around and returned to her food trying to hide her embarrassment as Sakura chuckled lightly.

"But he was handsome right" she and whispered to Sakura after a moment.

Sakura turned back to look at the road that Itachi had disappeared down remembering the years she spent watching a similar Uchiha boy walk away from her and turned to look back at her friend.

"How have you been Rie?"

Rie sighed and looked at the girl beside her who would forever remain a mystery to her.

"That's what I should be asking you… Sakura".


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favourites!_

* * *

He couldn't find her. No matter how hard he tried and how far he went it was as if Tsunade had vanished from the world. Itachi was an excellent tracker. Nothing escaped him once he put his mind to it however it was becoming more apparent that Tsunade would only be found when she wanted to. However the last few months he had spent looking for her were not in vain. He learned more about his village from the outside world because on the other side of Konoha's walls no one knew him as the heir to one of the most powerful clans in the shinobi world. So much had changed from what he remembered, from before Konoha 'transition'. The world wasn't what he remembered it to be and it made him feel more lost than he had ever felt - which was even more troubling because that just wasn't who he was.

There was no Tsunade and not a whisper of Sakura and Itachi worried that spending anymore time out of the village was going to draw attention to him which would undoubtedly set him back even further.

It had been two weeks since he had left on his mission and as he made his way back to the port city to begin his journey back he started to plot out what his next few steps would be. He would give himself one more try to locate Tsunade but after that he would have to move on his own.

As the small village came into view Itachi walked down the street towards the port to see when the next ship was scheduled to leave.

"Itachi" he heard a familiar voice yell as he turned to his surprise to see Rie crossing the street with a smile on her face.

"Hi Itachi", she repeated when she neared.

"Hello Rie" he nodded politely.

She looked at him for a moment before she smiled, "I wasn't expecting to see you again".

"Ah, I am returning home to my village. I was on my way to the port to find out when the next ship leaves so if you will excuse me…"

"It leaves tomorrow" she replied quickly before he turned away. "I am leaving tomorrow as well and the first ship leave at dawn" she laughed lightly.

Itachi looked at her and nodded knowing that he was going to have to double check the information himself but was in no rush now that there was no ship leaving today.

"Are you going to be staying the village tonight".

He nodded indifferently to her question as he looked around the village surrounding him. It was late in the afternoon and many of the shop were closing for the day and therefore he needed to decide where he was going to eat before everything closed.

" - around the corner" Itachi heard Rie say as his attention drifted back to her. When he looked at her blankly Rie smiled softly and repeated "the only inn in the village is down that street and around the corner. If you are looking for something to eat than further down you will find stalls that are open a little later".

"Thank you Rie" Itachi said which caused her to blush slightly. Since he had left Rie had secretly hoped that she run into him again but every time she brought it up to Sakura she changed the subject because she knew how unlikely that would be. But here he was, the man that had occupied her thoughts for the past two weeks and now they would probably be traveling together again in the morning. She tried her best to calm a heartbeat, because no matter how infatuated she was she didn't fall for men - they fell for her.

"Well, I am headed back to the inn to finish packing and maybe I will run into you a little while later" she said before she walked away. Itachi was different than the men in her village but Rie knew that like all men she needed to lay bread crumbs slowly in order to not scare them off and Itachi looked like he was prone to flying. She didn't wait for his reply as she walked back to the inn. She needed to tell Sakura that her dream man had walked back into her life and this time she wasn't planning on letting go.

* * *

It was well after sunset when Sakura returned to the inn. She needed to meet someone from a nearby village for a new mission and Rie had reassured her that she also needed to do some shopping before she left and that she would be fine on her own. As clever, well connected, and intelligent as Rie was she was not a shinobi which was a fact that made Sakura hesitate in leaving her alone. Sakura had trained her so that she was able to defend herself against common thugs and low level shinobi's but Sakura led a very dangerous life and with Rie nearby she was always worried that her work would somehow find its way to her. Nothing had ever happened, and hopefully nothing ever would but just the thought of leaving her for that long made Sakura rush back a little faster than she needed to. Without Sakura, Rie was relatively safe but with her near she always somehow attracted danger.

She entered the inn and nodded at the old housekeeper that greeted her at the door. Rie was leaving tomorrow morning so tonight, like it had somehow turned into their tradition, they would stay all night and at some point Sakura would tell her a story from her past that she had never heard before. Rie didn't know everything about Sakura but she knew enough. She knew more than anyone else knew about her and every time they saw each other Sakura would tell her another part, another piece to the puzzle as Rie would call it. She had a few ideas about stories she wanted to tell her, ones that would give her insight into who she was before but not reveal anything. It was fun for both of them, for Rie to learn more and for Sakura to share a part of herself.

Tonight she was planning on telling her about how her first date ever was a secret with the Kazekage of Sunna. She knew she would like that one it would because -

"Asumi" Rie yelled bouncing down the hall to meet her. She was smiling so wide that Sakura thought her face might split in two as Rie grabbed both of Sakura's hands.

"Oh Asumi you won't believe what happened" she said practically jumping up and down. "First of all" she said her face becoming more serious, "why are you back so early".

"Well it is our last night together and I thought of a story you would really like" Sakura winked at her.

"Really, what is it. Is it about your first mission, or the first time you healed someone, or maybe it about your first -"

"Calm down Rie" Sakura interrupted, "I'm not going to tell you right now. How about we go back the room, I take a shower and order food and then we can sit down and talk. I am sure with a little bit of persuasion I can even track down a bottle of sake" Sakura said as she made her way down the hall.

"Well about that, there is something I wanted to tell you" Rie began as she followed Sakura. "You will never guess who I ran into".

"Who" Sakura said as she rounded the corner.

"Well you remember the -" was all Sakura heard as she bumped into a person around the corner. As she felt her body swing backwards an arm reach out and grab her.

"Thank you" she said softly as she looked up into midnight black eyes that stared back at her. Her heart stopped in that moment and her mind went blank as all her body could do was react on reflex. She let a small burst of chakra go to free her arm from his grasp and in slow motion it was like she could see his eyes go wide. They stood there for a moment, both staring at each other coming to the realization of what just transpired. Itachi moved before Sakura had a chance retreat as he slammed her against the nearest wall a kunia to her throat and his Sharingan spinning.

Sakura looked down to avoid eye contact as she felt the vibration of his voice in the chest pressed up against hers.

"Haruno Sakura".

"Itachi what the hell are you doing" Rie yelled.

"Rie stay back" Sakura said as she turned to her calmly. "I need you to leave".

"No Sakura if he knows -"

"Rie" Sakura said looking at her, "please".

Rie knew what that meant, understood the gravity of the situation immediately. Sakura had never once begged her to do anything and therefore she knew she could not stay.

Rie nodded and ran out the front door taking the old housekeeper with her.

"This won't end they way you think it will Uchiha" Sakura said calmly as she watched the retreating form of her friend.

"I won't be returning back to Konoha with you". "Ever".

* * *

 _\- Please review -_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you again for the reviews. I will post the next chapter soon!_

* * *

For a moment they both stood hesitant to make the first move. In all the possible scenarios Itachi planned in his head running into Haruno Sakura in a small inn at the edge of the shinobi world was not one of them. If it had not been for the slip of her chakra he would have never assumed that the brown haired girl Rie was talking to was indeed her. Even now, with the way she calmly gazed past his shoulder to avoid eye contact and suppressed her chakra while he had a kunia to her throat only reaffirmed whatever little doubt he had that this was her.

"I do not wish to fight you Haruno-san" he said slowly as he watch her eyes slightly hardern at the mention of her name. She didn't respond, didn't flinch as Itachi increased the pressure of the kunai against her neck. Sakura was nothing if not patient and he knew that she was just biding her time until her friend was a safe distance away.

"I wonder if you knew you were going to die today when you woke this morning" she spoke softly, her voice cold like the winters in Snow.

"Its something I often wonder when I take a life. Did they know they were going to die today. Did they know that I was going to be the one that was going to do it" she continued as her hair slowly began to turn pink and her eyes morphe from sapphire to emerald.

"I didn't think I was going to take a life today, I hadn't planned on it. But for an Uchiha," she said suddenly looking into his eyes, "I will always make an exception".

Before he could move she was gone, reappearing behind him with his kunai in her hand ready to take his head. But Itachi was a master of close quarters combat so as she swung he ducked under her arm and used his weight to propel himself forward knocking her into the adjacent wall.

Itachi knew that this was going to get out of hand very quickly as he felt Sakura's chakra begin to build up in her fits ready to strike and probably take down the entire inn.

"I do not wish to fight you Haruno-san" he said as he leaped back barely missing one of her fits.

"Well isn't that to bad" she replied as she kicked one of the old wood pillars in the inn causing the wall to collapse towards him. For as little as he knew about Sakura he knew she was a highly intelligent fighter because the debri and dust would not hinder his Sharingan but it would make his reaction time a second slower, a small window of opportunity she was planning to capitalizing on. Itachi was not one to get frustrated in battle, especially one that had yet to really begin, but everything she was doing was going to undo his months of reconnaissance. No Uchiha heir could engage in a large destructive battle, like this one was shaping up to be, without news traveling back to the village.

"I am looking for Tsunade-sama" he said as he watch her charge through the debri at him. It made her steps falter a moment and he took it as a chance to attack throwing dozens shurikens at her, but like the smoke that surrounded them she was gone.

"Did you think I knew where she was" Sakura said appearing near the door of the inn. "If I did, do you think I would tell you".

"I hope you find her Uchiha Itachi. I hope that you can finish what your father started" she said as she opened the door.

"But I will tell you this, I cut my ties with that village and everyone in it a long time ago" was all she said before Itachi felt the floor explode from beneath him.

* * *

She couldn't help but replay Itachi's actions in her mind as she walked away from the burning inn. She had never fought the man and growing up in the village she had rarely ever seen him, but from what she knew Itachi was holding back in their fight. Escalating the fight would have probably meant destroying the village and accidentally harming Rie, but if Itachi's intention was to truly take her down then she was sure that she could move the fight outside the village before it became serious.

But why didn't he try and kill her. She knew that there was a kill order issued to ever Konoha nin to take her out on site but -

"As I said, I am not here to take you back to Konoha" came Itachi's calm voice as his frame appeared before her covered in burns and ashes.

"What do you want then", Sakura replied annoyed at his sudden persistence to have a conversation.

"I am looking for Tsunade-sama" he replied coolly.

"And as I said I don't know where she is".

He moved fast, faster than he had previously, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her against the nearest tree.

"I am done playing games with you little girl" he said his eyes began to bleed red with a promise of torture ahead.

"And as I have said before" Sakura continue calmly, "I do not know where she is. If Tsunade does not want to be found then she won't be".

Sakura grabbed the arm that pinned her and began to slowly crush it until he was forced to let go before her grip snapped his forearm in two.

Itachi looked at her for a long moment before he let out a small sigh. Sakura was his first lead he had in months and his window of opportunity was quickly closing.

"I need Tsunade-sama help to save someone".

Sakura kept quiet for a long moment before he heard a light chuckle escape her lips as she looked up into his eyes.

"Don't you think you clan has done enough. What makes you think that even if you find her she would help your -".

"It is not my family that needs help" he interrupted.

She looked at him once again annoyed, "I don't know where she is and if you are not here to carry out the kill order of your council then I will be leaving" she said as she pushed past him. With Itachi here is was safe to assume that other Konoha shinobi would be nearby and Sakura knew needed to get Rie and leave the village before -

"Naruto" she heard Itachi call out. "I need Tsunade's help to save Naruto".

It was a dangerous gamble; something he probably wouldn't have done if he was not almost out of time, but Itachi saw Sakura hesitate when she saw Naruto, he recalled how she didn't attack him like she had Sasuke, so he gambled in telling her.

"They are going after Naruto, and I can not save him alone".

She stopped walking as the sky that had long since turned dark shifted and gave way to the moon's light. She turned around slowly, her pink hair almost sliver under the sky's glow and her face frozen and as emotionless as the faces carved into the Hokage mountain.

"The council" she said faintly.

He nodded.

"Haruno-san please -"

"No don't!" she said stopping him. "Stop calling me that".

"I don't know what you mean Haru-"

"That! Stop calling me that. That is not my name anymore" she spoke her voice suddenly thick with emotion, "and Naruto is no longer my problem".

Haruno-san was her father's name. Itachi didn't know that, didn't know the weight that name carried for her. She had long stopped being Haruno Sakura, she barely recognized herself as Sakura anymore. But was like he could somehow read her mind.

"Sakura" she heard. "The council has found a way to undo the Uzumaki seal, they are going to -"

"Try and extract the Nine-tails…" she said looking at him, "I know".

"Then if you know -"

"Konoha is still years away from finding a way to extract the Nine-tails without killing the host".

Itachi watched her for a moment as an array of emotions danced across her eyes. He understood what she did not know, what she could have not known.

"They are not going to keep the host alive this time" Itachi told her.

"They are going to kill Naruto".

* * *

 _Leave a review. Let me know what you think. Chapter 10 is going to be extra extra long..._


	10. Chapter 10

Sakura stood silent for a long time. For most of her life her choices were made for her - but not this one.

"I last saw Tsunade in a forest just east of Waterfall". She would walk away, she had before and she could again.

She knew that this day would come, when the council finally went after Naruto. She had hoped it would be later down the line, when he was stronger and better able to defend himself. Maybe if she had never gone back for Tsunade and never had to relive the pain of her past she could have gone and helped Naruto. But he was part of that village, unfairly part of the problem; he belonged to the people that took everything she ever care about from her.

Naruto would die and she would continue to live in this emptiness until the universe finally decided it was her time. Maybe she would have to answer for her indifference in the after life. But not today - not now.

* * *

She found Rie a while later sitting at the edge of a dock her feet dangling into the water. Rie smiled slightly when she saw her, her eyes deep in thought as she watched her reflection in the water below.

"It has been a long time since I last saw you like this" she said, lightly running her fingers through the tips of Sakura's long hair as she sat down beside her. "I often forget how strikingly beautiful you were".

Sakura rarely revealed her herself to anyone, even Rie. There had been a handful of times when she was either too injured to keep up appearances or in the rare instances Rie would walk in to see Sakura staring at herself in the mirror. Looking at the forgotten face under all the masks she wore.

Sakura looked at her curiously, it was rare for her friend to be so solemn, even after everything that occured. Rie looked at her, a depth of sadness in her eyes Sakura no longer felt. "You are no longer this person" she said softly, "I am sad that you had to give her up".

Sakura looked down into the water that reflected the moonlight and a face she had not seen in a long time. A face that brought back the best and worst parts of her past.

"It is a shame you had to kill him, he was a beautiful man" Rie sighed softly looking out into the endless sea.

"I didn't kill him" she said looking at her friend. Her friend that reminded her so much of Naruto at times.

"Why not. He knew who you were. If he knows then-"

"He came looking for someone".

"Someone from your past".

Sakura nodded. Rie knew better then to ask and as curious as she was about Sakura past she knew not to pry.

"When do we leave, from all the smoke it looks like you destroyed half the village so I guess we will be traveling light" she chuckled to herself.

Sakura laid down on the dock watching the stars sparkle in the night sky.

"In a few minutes, I just want to lay down for a while before we have to go".

Rie remained quiet as her friend watched the stars her mind lost in thought.

"They are going after Naruto" Sakura said after some time. "He has something that they want and they are going to kill him for it".

Rie remained quiet as she continued. "You know there was this one time when Naruto and I were on a mission and I got badly injured. He was so worried that he created hundreds of clones to try and take care of me while I recovered. We were stuck in a cave in enemy territory for two weeks".

"He didn't even complain once..." she said mostly to herself.

"That doesn't sound like him".

"I know" Sakura slightly smiled. "One night I woke up to find him reading one of my books on medical herbs and the next morning I woke up to an array or herbs and flowers that are used for anything from a flu to a rare blood virus. He was everything to me in those two weeks and when we got back to the village he took me home and continued to bring herbs until I found out he was stealing them from the hospital and threatened to beat him up if he didn't stop".

Rie lightly chuckled laying down on the dock beside Sakura, "now that sounds more like Naruto".

Sakura softly smiled as she continued to gaze at the stars.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing."

"But if -"

"There is a mission in Earth that I am going to take" Sakura interrupted. "Other than that I am not going to do anything. I can't do anything".

"Why".

"Because it's complicated.

"Sakura-"

"I think we should get going Rie" she spoke as she stood up. "With Itachi here it means more Konoha nin could be nearby".

Sakura looked down at her reflection one more time before her face and body morphed into one of her many disguises. Rie looked at her, "a shame, a real shame" she murmured to herself as she watched her friend hide behind a face that would never be as beautiful as the one she was born with.

"Let's go" Sakura said reaching down offering her hand to Rie, "we have a lot of ground to cover".

* * *

Itachi knew pain, knew it like an old friend whose presence was never wanted but was quietly accepted. In Sakura's eyes he could see a similar level of pain reflected in them except without his quiet and numbing acceptance. He had given up so much for the village that she left behind. There had been many moment when his sacrifices went unspoken and unacknowledged. For months and years he suffered in silence for a village that continued to ask for more of him. And now, looking at her retreating figure, he didn't know if Sakura was stronger or weaker than he was for walking away. She left her obligation for Konoha and its people at the village gates and he knew no amount of convincing was going to bring her back.

Itachi didn't know much about Sakura, but he knew Naruto. He knew the way he touched and changed the lives of the people he loved. He knew how Naruto touched his life; how he changed him from who he was to who he is. He knew that if Naruto meant anything to her that it would mean something. That his life would mean something to her.

But he could see it in the way she looked at him. The way the pain was etched into her face.

Naruto meant more to her then he could have ever anticipated, saw it in the way her mask crumbled for a moment when he told her about the council. But Sakura walked away with more conviction than he thought possible. He could understand walking away from him and the village, but she was able to walk away from Naruto too and that spoke more than words ever could.

He never questioned it at the time, Itachi knew that his village did horrible things in the name of peace. That he himself had done horrible things under their orders, but what happened to her was so much more. More than he thought the village was capable of.

It caught him off guard but Sakura knew about the council, knew about their desire to go after Naruto. She knew more than he thought and maybe that is why he was continuously unable to anticipate her next move. She would be a dangerous enemy should their paths cross again, that much he knew for sure.

Waterfall was the first clue he had in months and he it had never occurred to him that Tsunade might stay that close to Konoha's borders. As soon as he started looking for her he went to the furthest nations he could find, but know he knew he would have to look closer. It would cut his traveling time in half but the likelihood of him being recognized also double. It was incredible dangerous to stay that close to Konoha, and perhaps that is what made it the perfect hiding place for her.

It would take time, capturing and containing a shinobi of Naruto's caliber would not be an easy feet to achieve. So that bought him some time to find Tsunade, maybe another six months to a year before he believed the council would be ready to take out Naruto. The nine tails had never been extracted from a host successfully without mass casualties Itachi hoped for his village's sake that they would not kill half of their citizens in trying to get Naruto.

* * *

The days rolled into weeks which turned into months, slowly changing the landscape from autumn to winter. The winds were harsh in Earth, her body colder than it had been in a long time. The mission had run longer than she thought it would but the money was well worth all of the trouble. It had been endless days of snow and nights so cold she couldn't feel her body, but before she knew it the world began to melt and her namesake began to bloom in forests casting the world in petals of pink.

Hard as she tried Sakura never stopped listening to the reports that came out of Konoha. Everytime she received a scroll a small part of her believe that they would announce her worst nightmares realized. It haunted her as she continued to move from one place to another taking on an endless amount of missions as she went.

But the news never came as the secrets she sold continued to come and go.

Almost a year went by before she received word from Rie that she wanted to meet. It felt like no time had past as she buried herself in her work to try and rid her mind of Naruto and that stupid village. Sakura tried hard but it was as if everything reminded her of him. When the sun rose she was reminded of his hair and when she went by a river the clear crystal water brought back memories of his eyes. She remembered the last time she saw his face before she left, even her brief encounter in the village was burned into her memory and came up when she least expected it. She could no longer even eat ramen without the smell making her nauseous.

He was everywhere, reminding her of everything that he was.

It was half the reason why she hadn't seen Rie in so long. As much as she loved her, so much of her reminded Sakura of Naruto. It was what initially drew her to Rie, her kind smile and warm demeanor. They were different in many ways, ways that made her remember they were two distinct and very different people. But the similarities where too much so she inadvertently kept her distance. But she missed her, missed her friend and her laughter and kind smile. She missed her in the same ways that made it hard not to miss Naruto too. When it was quiet enough and her demons were at bay she could admit that she missed Naruto the way she missed everything in her old life.

But the nostalgia always faded to be replaced by reality. The reality that her family was dead and she was betrayed by her village.

Shaking her head from these dangerous thoughts, thoughts that would always make her angry and cloud her judgment, she looked down at the valley where she was meant to meet Rie. The valley was a days walk from a bustling city in Stone where they were planning on staying but for tonight they would camp out in the woods. Rie always loved camping, something she often didn't do in her daily life. At night when she marveled at the stars it reminded Sakura of just how different they are and how against all odds they had found solace in each other.

A slight shift caught her attention as she sensed Rie's approaching figure. A small smile graced her lips as she let the joy of seeing her friend wash over her. She stood there overlooking the valley waiting for her to break through the trees.

It didn't take long and a moment later she saw Rie's black hair emerge from the underbush. She raised her hand intending to wave it to catch her attention when she noticed something was wrong. Rie wasn't looking at Sakura as she rushed out of the forest. She just kept looking back as she tripped over herself running out from the trees. Sakura sensed it immediately as her instincts took over and she expanded her chakra to pick up on a group of shinobi trailing behind Rie. Instantly she was speeding towards her as she cut the distance between them in seconds. As Rie looked up, her eyes flooded with relief as tear ran down her face.

"Sakura!" she yelled as she was just a breath away from reaching her. But it was to late, everything in Sakura's life was to late as she watched in horror as the men appeared behind Rie plunging a katana through her body.

* * *

He felt the clash of chakra before he even sensed it. It was as though suddenly an explosion happened just west of where he was standing. This close to Fire's borders it was his duty to check but not engage.

There had to have been dozens of shinobi fighting by the sheer force and speed that the battle was moving in. As he got closer he sensed multiple shinobi converging in one area. It was hard to make out what was happening but then he heard the distinct sound of earth cracking.

As he made his way to the clearing there stood a woman throwing shinobis around like the were shurikens as she positioned herself between the attackers and an injured women on the ground.

Even without his Sharingan he knew who it was but it was the site of a wounded Rie on the floor behind her that alerted him to the reason for the sudden clash. He would have stayed and watch for a moment as he had months before when she attacked Konoha but from this distance he could feel Rie's weaken chakra signature.

He didn't know why he did it, why he felt compelled to intervene but in an instant he was in between Sakura and her attackers seamlessly joining the fight.

She looked at him for a moment unsurprised by his sudden appearance but unsure as to why he intervened.

"She's dying" he told her.

"I know" she growled as another nin launched themselves at her.

"I'll hold them off".

Sakura hesitate, just for a moment until she heard Rie's breathing stop as she turned and rushed to her side.

She knew it was bad even before she laid a hand on her, and a part of her knew that there was a good chance that she was already too late. That her medical ninjutsu was not going to be enough. She had never intended to use it again but before she could think Sakura did what she had avoided for the past 9 years. She activated her Yin Seal which was concealed under a genjutsu on her forehead. She couldn't transfer any life energy into Rie because the forbidden jutsu could only be activated once every ten years, but with the added benefit of her additional chakra she hope that she could heal the damage before it was to late.

Her mask faded away, her back hair turning pink and her hazel eyes shifting back to emerald green as the seal marks covered her body. The rush of chakra burn her veins as it passed and she had to concentrate as she brought her hands together over Rie's weakening body. In the distance she heard Itachi and the men clashing and true to his word he kept them at bay while she worked.

The katana had pierced right through her body just missing her heart. She had a collapsed lung, bone fragments from her ribs poking her other lung and damage to both her kidneys. Sakura worked quickly but methodically, switching back into her role as medic. Stop the bleeding, assess the damage, and heal the major organs. She listed of a checklist she had long since thought she had forgotten. Airways, spinal cord damage, checking for internal bleeding in. The list went on as she healed whatever damage she could find but she knew that Rie wouldn't be up and walking in just one session.

Behind her she heard the last thud and she spare a quick glance to see Itachi finishing off the last if their assailants as he headed their way.

She was almost done, could feel it in the way Rie's heart was growing steady under her palm.

"How is she" he spoke as he neared. Sakura didn't look up from her work as she triple checked Rie's body making sure she did not miss anything. She kept going until she felt her chakra begin to dim as her seal began to recede.

"She will live" she smiled lightly to herself before she looked up at Itachi who was standing behind her. Sakura stood up as she surveyed the once beautiful valley they were standing in. It was too close to a major village for the fight to not have drawn any attention. She turned her attention back to Itachi who was silently watching her before she felt the familiar ache take over her body right before the world went dark.

Itachi saw it in slow motion the way her eyes fluttered closed and her body crumbled to the ground. He caught her right before her head it the ground gently laying her down next to Rie. He could see with his Sharingan that Sakura did not have an ounce of chakra left. This wasn't his plan, it would probably put everything in jeopardy, and somehow little Haruno Sakura had a way of ruining all of his carefully laid out plans. With the way Sakura had attacked the group he knew that would attract the attention of any ANBU in the area.

Itachi sighed as he looked down at both Sakura and Rie's unconscious forms. He created a clone as he lifted Rie and his clone lifted Sakura. Both women would not be awake for a long time and he knew of an old cabin he found during one if his long mission out the of village. It was still hidden behind his genjutsu and had not been used for years, but it was still the safest place he knew this close to Konoha.

As he turned to leave he looked back at the destruction Sakura caused. He had met powerful shinobis in his time but Sakura was in a league of her own. Shaking his head he slowly readjusted Rie as his clone mimicked his actions and launched himself into the trees.

* * *

 _You know - this was supposed to be a short story. A story with a easy beginning, middle, and end. But over the past 10 chapters is has grown into so much more, but the good thing is I still have an ending - I just have to work my way to it as it keeps getting further and further away._

 _Please review, let me know what you think. There are a few characters that are going to make an appearance and plot points that are going to be revealed. I hope nobody has guessed them, but if you have let me know and we can see if your right in a few chapters._

 _Thank you to all the readers!_


	11. Chapter 11

Her whole body ached in ways that made her remember her days in the hospital. Chakra exhaustion was different than other forms of pain. It burned slowly, like the muscles in her body were slowly being heated from the inside. It wasn't the worst pain in the world, but it was a pain that would take her days to fully recover from. Sakura had depleted her entire reserve, but she has done it for Rie.

It had taken four days for Rie to regain consciousness. Sakura constantly checked, slept and woke up in the chair beside Rie's bed with a hand resting on her abdomen constantly pumping chakra into her. The human body, no matter how much you did for it would always heal at its own rate. Rie had never sustained such an injury in her life, therefore Sakura knew that her body was just taking its time to regain its strength.

Sakura didn't care for Itachi, over the four days that she was awake he came and left from the cabin. Every morning he would place food outside of their door before leaving the cabin. The only reason she did not move Rie the moment she woke up was because she was alerted to the soft hum of a genjutsu placed around the cabin concealing the, from the outside world. With her strength not capable of protecting her and Rie from a full scaled attack this uneasy truce with the Uchiha provided her with time to figure out what her plan was going to be.

Sakura wasn't sure what role she played in whatever Itachi's plan was, however, there were a few things she was sure off. Firstly, she would return Rie back to her village and secondly, she would track down the poor bastards that attacked her. It would take some time, but for the first time in a long time she had a thirst for revenge that was not directed at Konoha. There was an unknown target out there that she could methodically destroy one excruciating piece at a time that had nothing to do with her past. She looked over at Rie's sleeping form and sighed.

Sakura knew what she was doing, focusing on revenge allowed her mind to fixate on something other than the fact that Rie almost died. That for a split second as she watched the katana rip through Rie's body her heart broke in places she didn't know still existed. Rie almost died, and without Itachi's interference she wouldn't have had the time to heal her or bring her somewhere safe. It bothered her that there were so many things that were slowly slipping outside of her control.

Rie.

Itachi.

Naruto.

But revenge. She liked revenge. It was easy, clear cut. Find the people who did this to Rie and take them out. It was simple and as things were slowing beginning to become more complicated Sakura clung to the simple.

* * *

"I knew you were going to be there".

"Rie".

"No Sakura I am serious. Something told me that just beyond the bushes you would be there, and everything was going to be okay" she said softly. "Obviously, I didn't account for this" she said chuckled lightly pointing to the large scar that ran across her stomach, "but I am alive Sakura, and that all that matters".

Sakura looked at her for a long time. Looked at the hands that were holding hers like she was the one needing comfort. She knew what Rie was doing, what she was always doing.

"Who were those men Rie".

Rie sighed, turning her head towards the window and away from Sakura. "I don't know, they found me, and they attacked. It's not like I was in a position to ask questions" she said turning back to look at Sakura. "They were probably sent by my father"

"Rie, if I find out that your father did this to you" Sakura interrupted.

"You're going to do what" Rie said looking at her sharply. "You're going to do what Sakura".

"Rie" Sakura began.

"No, we are not having this discussion again Sakura. You do not get to make decisions for me" she said untangling their hands. "He is my father therefore my word is final".

"If he was truly your father he would have never –"

"No" Rie said looking at her friend, "you don't get to do this. You don't get to use what I told you to justify your violence. That man, if it was him, is still my father".

Sakura looked at her friend as her agitation began to build. This is always how it was when they spoke about her family. Sakura promised that she would respect her wishes, that no matter what Rie told her that she would not act out on her own. But this was too much. If this was indeed her father, he had taken things too far.

"Look at you Rie" Sakura said standing up from her chair in anger. "Look at where you are, where we are" she said gesturing to the rooms around her. "If I was a few moments late, if that damn Uchiha had not been nearby, we would not be here having this conversation. You do not get to use a promise I made when we first met to justify this. You don't get to say I have not right to protect you when –".

"When what" Rie yelled. "He is my father Sakura!"

"No father would do this Rie. No father would do this to their child" Sakura snapped.

"And what about yours!"

Sakura stopped, the blood leaving her face as she stood there emotionless. They both stayed there frozen for what felt like a lifetime neither backing down.

"You're wrong Rie. The love I had for my father turned me into this monster, but your father; your father actions are inexcusable, and I am not going to let you justify his actions to me any further" she said calmly before she walked out of the room.

* * *

Sakura came back later that night when she was sure that Rie had gone to sleep and Itachi had yet to return. She didn't know where he went but the genjutsu he placed around the house was still there, therefore he must not have been too far from the cabin.

She had time to cool off. To begin to understand where her anger was coming from. So much of it was Rie, but so much of it also wasn't.

Losing Rie, for the first time in a while was the closet she had to the feeling of loss of her parents. It brought her back to the little girl she hated so much; the little girl who had her life ripped be away from her. It had nothing to do with Rie's father, a man she was going to make sure she made time to visit if her suspensions her confirmed. It had everything to do with her hatred of herself, her hatred of her powerlessness. That even when she was strong, she could not have saved Rie alone. That with no matter how hard she tried she was destined to suffer, destined to lose everything she ever cared about.

Her parents, her village, her mentor, her friends, her Naruto.

It was him. It was always him. The boy that reminded her of the sun. The boy that her heart still yearned for.

Ever since Itachi had told her about the council, she knew she had never been the same and maybe this fight with Rie was just an accumulation of all of these feelings brewing just underneath the surface.

It was as if her past and present were fighting with each other for her future. The past that pushed her to be better, to find a way to save Naruto; and her present that urged her to let go and move on.

As she slowly made her way back into the room, she found the chair she had pushed away from Rie's bed in anger back beside her bed. Back where it belonged.

Slowly, afraid that she would wake up Rie, she made her way to the chair her hands slowly wrapping around Rie's hand that was left uncovered by the blanket.

Gradually, as if she was coming back from the dream world, Rie opened her eyes a soft smile gracing her lips.

"I knew you would be here when I wake up. You always are" she spoke softly.

Sakura looked at her, looked at the girl who was her sister. Her friend. She looked at the girl she almost lost, and the years of friendship they had built over times. She looked at Rie and saw another little girl broken by the world and it took a long time before she noticed the tear droplet that ran down her cheek onto their intertwined hands.

Rie looked up her eyes wide as she watched the tears continue to flow from Sakura's face. Sakura sighed and gave her friend a sad smile.

Her past had won.


End file.
